Risa Shimoda supports the RMS program staff and board with a background in design engineering, consumer products marketing and non-profit leadership.   She received a BS in Engineering / Product Design from Stanford University and trained as a consumer products marketer at Procter & Gamble, M&M/Mars and Coca-Cola USA before directing marketing, sales and product development for kayaks and paddlesports accessories at Perception, the world’s largest kayak manufacturer. As Executive Director of American Whitewater (AW), she and her team represented river users in the relicensing of hydropower projects and pursued the right of public access on precedent-setting cases. She pioneered corporate support for AW and developed its first event-based business model for the largest river-based annual fundraising event in the United States. An avid whitewater paddler, Risa co-founded the Outdoor Alliance and has served on the boards of the Conservation Alliance, North American Paddlesports Association, American Whitewater and Nantahala Outdoor Center. 

Pamela Dillon serves as project specialist for the National Boating Education Standards Panel (ESP). In this role, she works to fully articulate NASBLA’s national role in standards development and conformity assessment. Previously, Dillon served as BLA, retiring in 2011 as chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Watercraft. During a five-year break in service from the state of Ohio, Dillon served as executive director of the American Canoe Association (2002-2007), working to develop strategic alliances with boating, outdoor recreation, and paddlesport education and conservation programs across the U.S. and Canada. Dillon served two terms as a public member of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council. In 2014 Dillon earned her credential as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) from ASAE.